Quick release mechanism



Nov. 5, 1963 J. w. APGAR 3,109,303

QUICK RELEASE MECHANISM Filed Jan. 16, 1962 4 7" L m 7 z INVENTOR.

James 'LU. Ff ngar j' BY accompanying drawings in which:

' Patented Nov.5, 19653 tent smooth bores 12 in plate 6 and 12a in bar 10. Bolt 11 is provided with a head 13 which normally rests on top of plate 6 and secures U-shaped member 9 against the bottom of support 2 by a nut 14.

An item to be drop tested is indicated by 15 and may be suspended from the mechanism 1 by a cable 16 passing over U-shaped member 9.

Cable 16 may be connected by link 17 to an ear 18 on specimen 15 and the other end of cable 16 can be fastened The invention described herein may be manufactured l0 t0 a hook 19 which is hooked quickly to an ear 20 on and used by or for the Government for governmental specimen l5. purposes ith t th payment to me f any royalty Other means for the suspension of the specimen 15 th from the U-shaped member 9 may be employed and the This invention relates to a quick release mechanism and aforesaid method is dss'cl'ibsd y y of @Xample ymore particularly to amechanism for dropping large items In operation, the item to be is not always from various heights in order to study the effects of the attached to the same pp Various Stationary r f fl th tures can be used depending upon the height needed to The present invention employs a rectangular frame PBI'fOl'In the 113811. After selecting the support 110 be used, ti on a h d li lif i means hi h i tum rests the item to be tested is raised by expedient means and is on a Support at h d i d height fmthe test A suspended from the U-shaped member 9' which has been shaped member is secured to the frame by a single bolt aii'fflshed to ram 4- and the item to be tested is suspended from the U-shaped The hydraulic means 3 is activated to False frame 4 member Th hydrauli member ill Lift th frame til and the lifting action is continued until the upper ends th b lt i f d, h Permitting h specimen t f ll, of U-shaped member 9' make firm contact with the under It is a primary object of this invention to provide a side of pp At this P mhlol adjustments in mechanism for quickly releasing an object whereby it will height, 136st item Position, -r sire Inadebe subjected to a fall of predetermined height for purposes To effect quick release 0f test hem the hydraulic of determining the effects of such fall on the object. msshs 3 is caused pp further pressllre to P It is anether bject to provide a quick release device This upwardly directed pressure iS transmitted by IOClS 7 in which the parts can be used repeatedly and with reto plate 6 and to head 13 of bolt 11, down bolt 11 to nut placement of a i l b l 14, from nut 14 to transverse bar 10, from bar 10 to U- A further object is to provide a quick release mecha- Shaped member 9 which is Prevented fIlom upward movenism that is both quickly assembled for use and economical mehft y pp As hydraulic means 3 continues to i t ti apply increased pressure, bolt 11 is snapped and test item The specific nature of the invention as well as other ob- 15 falls the gmuhdjects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a Il1 Practice, a retaining means such as a Chain description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the shown) y be attached t0 P member 9 and support 2, or frame 4 to prevent the U-shaped member 9 from falling on the test item 15.

It is therefore apparent that a highly eflicient means for the quick release of heavy items to be dnop tested has been devised and one that involves but little expense in operation.

Variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concept of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings in which reference char- What is claimed acter 1 represents the quick release device of the inven- Quick release p testing apparatus Comprising afil'st tion generally, a support 2, such as an I-beam, is used for pp lifting means on said first pp a frame mounting the mechanism thereon at a de i d height f nected to the lifting means to be raised thereby, second h d, support means with an operative connection to the frame A hydraulic means 3 is rested on top of the support 2, and connectable to an object to be drop tested whereby nd may be at any type hydr uli j k hi h can b expethe lifting means lifts the frame and second support means, diently used, the second support means contacting the first support to A rectangular frame, indicated generally by 4, consists limit mfwemeht the Second pp means, the p of a rectangular upper plate 5. A rectangular lower plate five Connection being frangible upon application of ade- 6 is secured in spaced relation by threaded rods 7 and quate force by the lifting means, whereby the lifting means nuts 8 and is best viewed in FIGURE 2. will lift the frame and second support means until the Plate 5 rests on hydraulic means 3, while plate 6 is dis- 0 second support contacts the first support and continued posed under support 2. lifting will rupture the frangible operative connection A U-shaped member 9 is provided with a transverse bar thereby permitting the second support, and any object 10 for a purpose to be later apparent. which may be connected thereto, to fall free of the other As seen in FIGURE 3, a bolt 11 is passed through apparatus.

3,109,303 QUICK RELEASE MECHANISM James William Apgar, Havre de Grace, Md, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the 5 Secretary of the Army Filed Jan. 16, 1962, Ser- No. 166,726

2 Claims. (Cl. 73-42) (Granted under Title 35, U.S. Code (1952), sec. 266) FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of the quick release 40 mechanism as assembled for use;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the quick release mechanism;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional detail view taken along lines 33 of FIGURE 1, and,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional detail view taken along lines 44 of FIGURE. 2.

2. A quick release drop testing machine including in combination, a support and a lifting means normally resting on the upper side of said support, a rectangular frame comprising an upper plate resting on said lifting means and being disposed normal to said support, a lower plate spaced below said support, a pair of rods secured, one each, to the ends of said upper and lower plates, said rods maintaining said plates in parallel relation, a U-shaped member having a transverse bar integral thereon, said U-shaped member being disposed below said support, and 10 2,986,921

a bolt connecting to said transverse bar and said lower plate whereby when said frame is lifted by said lifting means, said U-shaped member will contact the under side of said support and upon continued lifting of said frame by said lifting means, said bolt will be fractured to permit said U-shaped member to drop.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS V Apgar June 6, 1961 

1. QUICK RELEASE DROP TESTING APPARATUS COMPRISING A FIRST SUPPORT, LIFTING MEANS ON SAID FIRST SUPPORT, A FRAME CONNECTED TO THE LIFTING MEANS TO BE RAISED THEREBY, SECOND SUPPORT MEANS WITH AN OPERATIVE CONNECTION TO THE FRAME AND CONNECTABLE TO AN OBJECT TO BE DROP TESTED WHEREBY THE LIFTING MEANS LIFTS THE FRAME AND SECOND SUPPORT MEANS, THE SECOND SUPPORT MEANS CONTACTING THE FIRST SUPPORT TO LIMIT MOVEMENT OF THE SECOND SUPPORT MEANS, THE OPERATIVE CONNECTION BEING FRANGIBLE UPON APPLICATION OF ADEQUATE FORCE BY THE LIFTING MEANS, WHEREBY THE LIFTING MEANS WILL LIFT THE FRAME AND SECOND SUPPORT MEANS UNTIL THE SECOND SUPPORT CONTACTS THE FIRST SUPPORT AND CONTINUED LIFTING WILL RUPTURE THE FRANGIBLE OPERATIVE CONNECTION THEREBY PERMITTING THE SECOND SUPPORT, AND ANY OBJECT WHICH MAY BE CONNECTED THERETO, TO FALL FREE OF THE OTHER APPARATUS. 